Driving mechanism



DeC 22, 1931 J. l.. PEKINS ET AL 1,837,791

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed June 13, 1928 2 Sheets-Shea?l 1 A TTORNE Y.

Dec. 22, 1931. J. L. PERKINS ET AL DRIVING MECHANI SM Filed June 13, 1928V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE JULIAN L.V PERKINS, F WEST SPRINGFIELD, AND HIRAM D. CROFT, SPRINGFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNORS TO PERKINS MACHINE AND GEAR COMPANY, 0F WEST y SPRING-FIELD; .MASSACHUSETTS A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS DRIVING IVEECHANISM Application ile'd l June 13,

Uur invention relates to improvements in driving mechanisms of the .type used in Loon,- nect-ion with washing machines wherein the wringer rolls are driven fromshafts that form parts of or are connected with the driving mechanisms of such .machines,and which driving mechanisms enable said rolls to be revolved in either direction and permitted to remain idle at will.

The primary object of our invention is to provide comparatively simple mechanism, of the class described, which is easyand convenient to shift, posit-ive when in action,smooth running, and withal entirely practical and highly efficient.

Another object is to produce driving mechanism in which two driving members and a single driven member are employed, where'- by said 'mechanism is compact, strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive.

A further object is to provide improved means for shifting by `hand the driven member of the driving mechanism.

vOther objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

We attain the objects and secure the advantages of our invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through driving mechanism which embodies a practical form of our invention, with connected parts of a wringer in front elevation; Fig. 2, a right-hand end elevation of the parts and members illustrated in the preceding view; Fig. 3, an enlarge bottom plan of the shifting cam and section through the engaging member operated thereby, as on lines 3-3, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 5; Fig.` 4, a sectional detail taken approximately on lines H, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig.' 5, and, Fig. 5, a rear elevation of saidmechanism, with parts broken away and in section.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views.

At 1, in Figs. 1 and 2, is represented the upper portion of a supporting' column of a washing machine, and at 2 a housing or cas- 50 ing mounted on said column. Thecolumn 1 1928. Serial N0. 285,042.

has a flange 5 at the top, and in said flange are vertical openings, indicated by dotted lines 6, to receive ythe lower terminal of a lock pin or bolt 7 The casing 2 has a depending sleeve 8 at the bottom of which is a flange 9 to rest on the flange 5,.and said firstnamed flange has therein a vertical opening, indicated by dotted lines 10, through which the bolt 7 passes. The opening 10 may be brought into alignment with any one of the openings 6 by partially rotating the sleeve 8. A bushingll extends .through the column 1 upwardly into the sleeve 8, Vand journaled in said bushing isa drive shaft 12. The shaft 12 maybe driven from any suitable source but generally from vthe driving mechanism of/.theiwashing machine, and rotates con stantly while said ymachine is in operation.

The sleeve 8 is rotated for adjustment on the bushing 11 as a center.

The Ybolt 7 at the upper terminal is received in a verticahhollow lug 13 onthe back side of the sleeve 8,'and a spring, indicated by dotted lines at 14, is located in the passage in said lug, between the top of said bolt andthe top .of said passage. A transverse stop vpin .15 extends ythrough the bolt 7. and projects beyond opposite sides .of the same, to rest .on the flange .9 and limit the downward movement of said boltunder the in-4 fluence of its spring.

There is also Va horizontal .lug 16 located onthe back side of the sleeve y8 lbelow :and forward of .the :lug 13, anda 'bell-cranl-lever 17 is pivotally connected at 18 with said lug. The bell-crank-lever -17 has `a shortyreai wardly extending armk which is pivotally connected lat 19 with vthe bolt 7, anda long, upwardly extending arm whichserves as :a handle. A slot 20 .is made in the short arm of the bell-crank-lever 17y to `accommodate the Apivot 19. f

UponY grasping the handle-of Vthe bellcrank-lever 1.7 and movingsaid handle forwardly, the pivot 19 is elevated, and carries with `it -the .bolt y7, against'the .resiliency of its spring far enough to raise said bolt clear ofthe f'flange 5, said bell-crank-lever then being disposed ysubstantially as indicated by broken flines in Fig. 5. While the .parts are thus disposed, the sleeve 8 with the casing 2 are partially rotated about the bushing 11, the flange 9 riding on the flange 5, until the bolt 7, which also rides on said flange 5, pron viding the bell-crank-lever 17 -be released, enters the next opening 6 in the path of said bolt, when the latter descends into said opens ing and again locks the flanges together. In' this manner and by this means the casing 2 can be variously positioned, as may be required for the desired disposition of the wringer.

The pin 15 may be omitted, when dependence for limitation of the downward movement of the bolt 7 is placed -on the bell-cranklever 17, the pivots 18 and 19, and the vertical guidance and support furnished to said bolt by the sides of the opening 10, Then, too, a large opening may be substituted for the slot 20, in the short arm of the bell-cranblever 17, for the accommodation of the pivot 19, since the are described by the perforation in said arm for said pivot, when said bell-crank-lever is rocked in the pivot 18 to raise or lower the bolt, is very slight not to say negligible.

At 21 is represented a portion of one end of a wringer frame, and at 22 and 22,.respec tively, are represented corresponding end portions of under and upper wringer rolls. The roll 22 has a shaft 23 which extends through the frame 21 and beyond the same, the pretruding terminal of said shaft being square in cross section. f The roll 22 is, therefore, the driving roll, while the roll 22 is, the driven roll, being in contact with the other roll, or with clothes between, and actuated from' either the driving roll or the interposed clothes.

The inner side of the casing 2 consists of a flanged plate 24 which is bolted at 25 to the inner rim of the main portion of said casing, and is also bolted at 26 to the contiguous end of the wringer frame 21. The plate 24 has a horizontal bearing 27 in which is journaled a trunnion 28 of a generally spherical driver 29. There is a horizontal passage, angular in cross section, in the trunnion 28 to receive the angular terminal of the. wringer-roll shaft 23.

A shaft 30 is journaled in upper and lower bearings 31 and 32, respectively, in the casing 2, and the lower terminal of said shaft is let into a socket in the top of the shaft 12, and pinned therein at 33. Mounted on the shaft 30 and resting on the bearing 32 is a pinion 34, mounted on said shaft above said pinion is a collar 35, and mountedVV on said shaft above said collar is a pinion 36, the latter contacting with theunder side of the bearing 31. The collar 35 `is -secured to the shaft 30 by means of a transverse pin 37 held in place by a split-ring 38 in an annular groove in said collar. The'collar 35 has lugs 39 extending from both the top and bottom thereof into slots provided to receive them' in the corresponding ends of the pinions 36 and 34, the two lugs in the upper bearing being on opposite sides of the shaft 30, likewise the two lugs in the under pair. It is now clearly apparent that the pinions 34 and 36 rotate with the shaft 12.

A projection 40 at the inner end of the driver 29 bears against the side of the collar 35, which collar is cylindrical, and a shouldered part 41 at the outer end of said driver bears against the inner end of the bearing 27, the driver with its trunnion 28 thus being, prevented .from moving endwise or horizontally, but free torotate.

A gear 42 is mounted yto rock on the driver 29, and said driver is provided with a vertical driving pin 43, whichV extends radially through said drivervand has protruding terminals that are received in two oppositely dis posed, transverse slots 44 in a hub 45 of said gear,said terminals being flattened to increase the bearing surfaces of the same which are in said slots. The gear 42 is of the crown-gear type, and adapted to be rocked on the driver 29 into and out of engagement with either of the pinions 34 and 36, and into neutral position wherein saidv gear is out of engagement with both pinions. The pin 43 causes the driver 29 to be rotated by the gear 42, when the latter is rotated by either ofthe pinions 34 and 36, and in turn rotates the roll 22, through the medium of the trunnion 28 and the shaft 23, but said pin does not interfere with the rocking movement of said gear, because the slotted parts of the gear hub are free to move on said pin as said gear is rocked.

Tapped into the front and back sides of the casings 2 are two bearing-caps 46, the axes of said caps being in line with each other and in the same horizontal plane with the axis about which the driver 29 rotates, but at right-angles to said driver axis. A ring 47 encirclesthe hub 45, and is held in place on said hub by means of the gear 42 and a split-ring 48 in van annular groove in the hub. On the front and back sides of the ring 47 are trunnions 49 that are received in the bearing-caps 46, the axes of said trunnions and the axis on which the driver 29 and the gear 42 revolve being in the same horizontal plane. The hub 45 is free to rotate in the ring 47, and said ring is free to rock on and with its trunnions 49 in the bearing-caps 46. Rising from the top of the ring 47 is a short arm 50.

Journaled in suitable bearings provided in the upper partof the casing 2 is a horizontal rock shaft 51, and mounted on and pinned or Votherwise secured to said shaft at the inner end isa shift cam 52, and at the outer end a hub 53 of a handle 54. The shaft 51 is directlyv above and at right-angles to the shaft 30, and the axes of both of these shafts andthe axis of the gear 42 are in the same vertical plane.

On the under side of the cam 52, when said cam is disposed in neutral or intermediate position, are two oblique or spirally arranged ribs 55 spaced apart tok receive between them the upper terminal of the arm 50, diagonally opposite portions of said arm being beveled, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, to afford ample bearing surfaces where the arm and ribs contact with each other. Each rib 55 extends beyond the periphery of the main portion or body of the cam 52, to form a stop lug 56, and extending into the path of said lug is a stop 57 which depends from the top of the casing 2 above saidl cam.

lVhen the handle 54 stands vertically, the cam 52 is disposed as illustrated in Fig.4, the ribs 55 then extending in opposite directions, from the under side of the body of said cam, upwardly to within a short distance of the horizontal, central plane in which the cam axis is located. The arm is now disposed by the cam ribs in a vertical position., rlhis Vdisposition of the arm 50 dis- `poses and retains the gear 42 in an erect position and out of engagement with both pinions 34 and 36, consequently the driver 29 is rendered and remains inactive. Upon throwing the handle 54 forward and thereby rocking the shaft 5l and the cam 52 in the saine direction, the ribs 55 actuate the arln to the left or outwardly, and .said arm carries with it the ring 47, which rocks on the trunnions 49, and the gear 42, which rides on. the driver 29, the grooved parts of the hub 49 of said gear slidingon the pin 43. rl`he gear 42 now intermeshes with the pinion 34, is .rotated by` said pinion, and in turn rotates the driver 29, through the medium of the hub 45 and the pin 43, thus driving the roll shaft 23, through the medium of the trnnnion 28-see Fig. l. Upon throwing he handle rearwardly and thereby rocking the shaft 5l and the cam 52 in the corresponding oirection, the ribs 55 actuate the arm 50 to the right or inwardly, and said arm carries with it the ring 47 and the gear 42, causing said gear to intermesh with the pinion 36, thus driving the shaft 23 in the opposite direction to that in which it was previously driven. f

rEhe rea-r projection or lug 56 encounters the back/side of the stop 57, by the time the cam 52, in being rocked forwardly by the forward movement of the-handle 4, causes the gear 42 fully to engage the pinion 34, and the movement of the parts in these directions are positively checked the instant said gear comes into such full engagement. The forward projection or lug 56 encounters the front side of the'stop 57, by the time the cam 52, in being rocked rearwardly by the rearward movement of said handle, and causes the gear 42 fully toengage' the pinion 36.

The movement of the parts in .these latter directions are positively cheolredthe instant the gear 42 comes into full engagement with the pinion 36. i

v rllhere are three indentations or notches 58 in the hub 53 below the handle 54, one of said notches being directly in line with said handie, and the othertwo notches being on opposite sides of the first. A vertical lug 59 is provided on the outer end of the casing 2 below-the hub 53, which lug has a passage therein that opens through the top thereof, and within said passage are a spring 60 and a latch pin 6l. The spring 60 is Vbetween the bottom of the 'passage in the lug 59 and the bottom of the pin 6l, and retains the pin 61 in engagement with the hub 53 and generally in one or another of the notches 58.

Then the vpin 61 is in the intermediate notch 58, the handle 54 stands vertically, and, when said handle is thrown either forwardly or rearwardly to its full extent, said pinY is in either the foremost notch 58 or the rearmost notch 58, accordingly. Thus the springpressed pin 61 retains'the handle 54 in its upright position, and the cam 52 in neutral position, with the gear 42 out of engagement with the two pinions, and retains said handle in either of its two extreme positions, said cam then being in the corresponding extreme position, said gear then intermeshing with one or the other of said pinions. The hub 53, in being partially rotated in either direction by the handle 54. forces the pin 61 downl wardly` against the resiliency of the spring 60as the part of said hub between any two of the notches 58 passes over said pin, the latter immediately enters the'neXt notch in the direction of movement of the hub.

The general operation of the mechanism a wholeis described as follows, assumingthat the shaft l2 berevolving t0 the right, and the parts and members loe-disposed as illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

rlhe shaft 30 and the collar 35 are revolved to the right with the shaft l2, and the pinions 34 and 36 are caused to revolve in the same direction by said collar. The cam 52 being disposed in a manner to cause the gear 42 to intermesh with the pinion 34, said gear is rotated, and with it the driver 29 and they shaft 23, in the direction to rotate the wringer roll 22 in the direction to actuate rearwardly the clothes introduced into the bite between th'e roll and the wringer roll 22', said clothes being introduced from the front side of the wringer. If, now, the handle 54 be thrown rearwardly until the pin 61 enters the rearmost notch 58, and the forward stop lug 56 encounters the front side of thestop 57, the ring 47 is rocked on the and with the trunnions49 inwardly at the top, and rocks the gear '42 in a similar manner, thus disengaging said gear from the pinion 34 and engaging it with the pinion36. Immediately the pinion 36 causes the gear 42 to revolve in the opposite direction to that in which it previously revolved and imparts, through the same members as before, reverse rotation to the Wringer rolls 22 and 22. The handle 54 is disposed at this time in the position indicated by the broken lines at the right in Fig. 2. To stop the roll 22, regardless of the direction in which it may be rotating, the handle 54 is moved `into vertical position, and the gear 42 thereby moved out of engagement with Whichever pinion it was in engagement with. From this neutral, inactive, or disengaged position, the gear 42 is caused to intermesh with the pinion 34 by throwingv the handle 54 forwardly, and to intermesh with the pinion 36 by throwing said handle rearwardly, from erect position. From the foregoing the operation of changing the wringer rolls from reverse to forward feed will be readily understood.

By providing` the flanged plate 24 for'the inner, open side of the casing 2,' which plate is adapted to be secured to said casing and to have the wringer frame 2l attached thereto by easily accessible bolts 25 and 26, provision is mader for the convenient 'attachment of the wringer to the casing; and, by providing slightly different plates, in shape and size, as may be necessary, wringer frames which vary more or less in shape and size can be as readily connected with said casing.

More or less change in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts of this mechanism, in addition to any hereinbefore specifically pointed out,

may be made without departing from thev spirit of our invention or scope of what is claimed. i

We claim: Y

l. Driving mechanism comprising in combination,a drive shaft, a collar fixed thereto, pinions at either side of said collar, driving connections between said pinions and collar, a driver rotatable on an opposed to that of said shaft, pins extending radially from said driver, a gear provided with elongated slotsgwhich receive said pins whereby the gear may rock on said driver to mesh with either of said pinions, a ring on said gear and a cam engaging said ring for rocking said gear.

2. The combination, in driving mechanism, with aA shaft. pini/ons mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship, offa rotary driver mount-ed at right-angles to said shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to' rock on said driver, means to cause said driver to be. rotated by said gear while permitting the latter to rock on the former, and means to rock said gear into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and

exceeding the 1 into neutral position relative thereto.

Y 3.A The combinatlon, in driving mechanism,

with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship of a rotary driver mounted at right-angles to said shaft, and provided with a projecting member, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, and engaging said projecting member, whereby said gear is caused to rotate with said driver, but permitted to rock thereon, and means to rock sai-d gear into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and into neutra-l position relative thereto.

4. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship, of arotary driver mounted at rightangles'to said shaft, and provided with a pin which projects at diametrically opposite points, a gear having a hub mounted to reckon said driver, and slotted to receive the projecting parts of said pin, whereby said gear is caused to rotate with said driver, but permitted to roch thereon, and means to rock said gear into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and into neutral positcn relative thereto.

Theeombination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship, of rotary driver mounted at rightangles to said shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, means to cause said driver to be rotated by said gearV While permitting the latter to rock on the former, a cam, a ring connected with said gear and mounted to rock, the rocking axis of said ring being that of said gear, and engaging means between said cam and said ring, whereby said gear may be caused to engage and disengage either of said pinions, and to be positioned out of engagement with both pinions.

6. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship, of a rotary driver mounted at rightangles to said shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, means to cause said driver to be rotated by said gear while permitting the latter to rock on the former, a rock shaft, a cam mounted on and secured to said rock shaft, and a rocking member connected with said gear, and hav- 0 a part extending into engagement with ld cam, whereby the gear may be rocked Vfrom said cam, through the medium of said rocking member, into and out of engagement with either of said pinionsand into neutrai position relative thereto. Y

7. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in -spaced relationship, of a rotary driver mounted at right-angles to said shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, Vmeans to cause said driver to be rotated by said gear while permitting the latter to rock on the former, a rock shaft, a cam mounted on and secured on said rock shaft, and having ribs with stop projections, a fixed stop in the path of said projections, and a rocking member connected with said gear, and having a part extending into engagement with said ribs, whereby the gear may be rocked from the cam, through the medium of said rocking member, into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and into neutral position relative thereto, said stop limiting the movement of the parts when the gear is rocked into engagement with either pinion.

8. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, and pinions mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relationship, of a rotary driver mounted at right-angles to said shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, means to cause said driver to be rotated by said gear while permit-ting the latter to rock on the former, a ring mounted on said hub, and having av projection, means to hold said ring against movement longitudinally of its axis, a rock shaft, and a cam mounted on said rock shaft, said cam having ribs with which said projection is in engagement, whereby the gear may be rocked from the cam into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and into neutral position relative thereto.

9. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, a collar mounted on and secured to said shaft, and pinions mounted on said shaft above and below, and secured to said collar, of a bearing having its axis at right-angles to said shaft, a driver provided with a pin, and having a trunnion journaled in said bearing, and parts to bear against said bearing and against said collar, whereby said driver is held against longitudinal movement, said trunnion being adapted to be engaged with and drive a shaft, a gear having a hubI mounted to rock on said driver, said hub being transversely slotted to receive said pin and cause said gear to rotate with said driver, and means to rock said gear into and out of engagement with said pinions, and into neutral position relative thereto.

10. The combination, in driving mechanism, with a shaft, a collar mounted on and securedto said shaft, and pinions mounted on said shaft above and below and secured to said collar, of a bearing having its axis at right-angles to said shaft in a vertical plane, a driver provided with a pin, and having a trunnion journaled in said bearings, and parts to bear against said bearing and against said collar, whereby said driver is held against longitudinal movement, said trunnion being adapted to be engaged with andA drive a shaft, a gear having a hub mounted to rock on said driver, said hub being transversely slotted to receive sald pin and cause said gear to rotate with said driver, bearings having a common axis at right-angles to said first-namedaxis in a horizontal plane, a ring mounted on said hub, and having trunnions journaled in said last-named bearings, and provided with a projection, means to hold said ring on said hub against movement longitudinally of the ring axis, and a cam adapted to engage said projection and thereby rock said ring on its trunnions, whereby said gear is rocked by said ring into and out of engagement with either of said pinions, and into neutral position relative thereto.

11. Driving mechanism comprising in combination, a drive shaft having pinions spaced thereon, a driven shaft rotatable on an axis opposed to that of said drive shaft, a gear for engaging either of said pinions and connections between said driven shaft and gear to facilitate swinging movements of said gear whereby it may rotate on different axes to engage either pinion.

12. Driving mechanism comprising in combination, a drive shaft having pinions spaced thereon, a driven shaft rotatable on an axis opposed to that of said drive shaft, a gear for engaging either of said pinions and connections between said driven shaft and gear to facilitateswinging movements of said gear whereby it may rotate on different axis to engage either pinion and means to swing said gear.

1B. Driving mechanism comprising in combination, a drive shaft having pinions spaced thereon, a driven shaft rotatable on an axis opposed to that of said drive shaft, a gear rotatable on different axes angularly disposed relative to that of the drive shaft and gear whereby the latter is driven by the former on their angularly disposed axes.

`JULIAN L. PERKINS. HIRAM D. CROFT. 

